Portable refrigerator



July 21, V1931. M. .1: HEwlTT PORTABLE REFRTGERATOR Filed May 29. 1929 Gttorneg' Patented July 21, 1931 PATENT FFFEQCE PORTABLE REFRIGE'RATOR Application een .Mw 29,

The invention relates to la refrigerator cover vfor barrels and vother receptacles, and the present application is filed to take the place of an application tiled by me August 9,1928, Serial Number 298,585, for the same invention. y

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and eflicient f o-od receptacle cover of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction, designedfor use lon barrels and other receptacles for theshiplnent of lislnpoultry, meats, .eggs Aand other perish-,able goods, and adapted to be readily applied to 'and-removed from a barrelwitheut injury to the refrigerator cover and capable of maintaining the entire contents `of the barrel lor other receptacle at the desired temperature, so thatsuch articles offood may be shipped without liability of spxoili'n g .them in transit.

A further object of Vthefinvention is to provide a refrigerator cover of xthis character adapted to be re-icedduring transit without removing it lfrom the barrel and capable of :draining the ice wat-er without permitting the same to come in contact'with the Voontents of the shipping receptacle.

Another object 4of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cover for barrels adapted t0 extend from the t0n t0 the -bottem Ote barrel and ,capable 'of Vfeeding ice by gravity from the top to the bottom, and equipped at the top with an ice-'hopper adapted to hold a relatively large amount'of ice s o that frequent re-icings will not be required.

` It is also an object of the invention to p.r ovide a refrigerator cover for barrels and ,other receptacles `adapted to be compa/ctly arranged for returning the device to the shipper and provided with means for `holding a'sliipping tag and capable of maintaining the tag in an exposed position both when the refrigerator oover'is in use on `a barrel and when in folded condition lfor returning the device to the shipper;

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the 192,9. serial NQ. 356,950.

claims hereto appended, it 'being' understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, with'- in the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit'of lthe in Vention or sacrificing any of the-*advantages thereof.

In' the drawings `Figure l is a perspective view of a ref-rigerator `cover for barrels constructed'in'accordance with this invention and lshowing the cover-attached to the barrel.

Fig .`2 is ar centralvertical sectional 'view of the same. i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the refrigerator cover, thelower portion of the-metal tubular section being broken away and the upperpart of the flexible section being in section.

Fig. 4 is a. side elevation, partly in section, showing the refrigerator device inV folded position'.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of securing theV refrigerator device in folded position.'

ln the accompanying drawings, in'which is illustrated the preferredv embodiment of the invention, the refrigerator cover comprises in its construction a lower tubular metallic section l and an upper flexible section 2 constructed of canvas or other suitable yfabric and adapted to be collapsed and folded andjarrangedfwithin the lower tubular section l forreturn to the shipper or other person, as illustrated in Fig. lof 'the drawings.

The lower sectionl consists of-a pipe or tube of iron or-other suitable material, and it may b e tapered and cylindricalin cross section, as l illustrated in lthe accompanying drawings, or of any other desired configuration, vas will bercadily understood, and when thedeviceis in use it is arranged withina barrel 43 and extends fromthebottom of the'barrel to the upper portion thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig.y 2 ofthe,drawings.r The lower end of t-he tubular section l is secured to the vbottom 4 ofthe barrel by being arranged in an opening 5 thereof. The tubular section 'is provided atits lower end with a bottom wall 6 having .perforations 7 forming drain openings and adapted to permit Ithe ice water to drain from the device without emptying the barrel or coming in contact with the contents thereof. The side walls of the tubular lower section are imperforate between the bottom of the barrel and the upper flexible section so that the ice water cannot leal; or pass into the barrel.

The flexible upper section 2 has a tapered lower portion S extending downwardly from the top of the barrel and terminating in a substantially cvlindrical neck 9 which is secured within the upper end of the tubular section 1 by suitable lacing 10 which passes through spaced perforations 11 of the tubular sectionA 1. rlhe extension neclr 9 covers the perforations 11 and closes the saine at the inner face of the tubular section 1 and prevents any leal;- agc of water through the said ierforations. The flexible section 2 may, however, be secured to the lower tubular section in any other desired manner7 as will be readily understood. The upper portion of the liexible receptacle extends normally above the top of the barrel, as clearly illustrated in 1 and 2 of the drawings, and is substantially cylindrical, the side walls being preferably arranged at a slight inclination and defining a slight taper, but the normally proj ecting upper portion of the flexible section of the device may be of any other desired configuration, and it is provided with a horizontal top wall l2 composed of two substantially semi-circular sections having diametrically arranged contiguous edges 13 provided with suitable eyelets 1a receiving a suitable lacing 15 which is adapted to enable the refrigerator cover to be readily opened and re-iced in transit without removing the refrigerator cover from the barrel 3.

The enlarged flexible upper section of the device forms an ice hopper and is adapted to hold a considerable quantity of ice for enabling the contents of the barrel to be maintained in the desired temperature without frequent re-fillings of the device. rl`he diameter of they enlarged upper section of the .refrigerator cover is designed to be slightly less than that of the top of the barrel,v and it is provided with a flaring apron 16 of canvas preferably formed integral with the adjacent portion of the upper flexible-section and connected with the same by a substantially horizontal portion 17 which extends from the juncture of the tapering porn tion S and the upper projecting portion of the flexible hopper section of the device. The flaring apron conforms generally to the .taper of the upper portion of the barrel, as

clearly shown in F ig. 2 of the drawings, and it is secured thereon by a barrel hoop 18 which tightly clamps the apron on the barrel at the upper edge thereof. The flexible upper section of the device is providedat intervals with tabs or ears 19 having eyelets 2O through which are driven nails 21 or other suitable fastening devices which terminate short of and do not pierce the apron 16, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The refrigerator cover is provided at the top with a projecting ear 22 having a suitable eye 23 and adapted to receive a shipping tag 2li and capable of exposing the shipping tag when the refrigerator cover is in use and also when the flexible upper section of the refrigerator cover is folded and arranged within the tubular metal section 1, as illustrated in F ig. l of the drawings.

TV hat l claim is:

1. A refrigerator cover for portable receptacles comprising a lower tubular section designed to be mounted in an opening in the bottom of a receptacle and to extend to the upper portion thereof and provided with drain openings arranged exteriorly of the receptacle, an enlarged upper flexible hopper section foldable within the lower tubular section and normally extending above the receptacle, said hopper section being adapted to hold supply of ice and secured to and communicating with the lower tubular section, the side walls of the latter being imperforate from the hopper section to the bottom of the said receptacle, and means for securing the hopper section to the top of the receptacle and for closing the same exteriorly of the hopper section.

2. A. refrigerator cov-er for portable receptacles comprising a rigid tubular lower section and a flexible upper hopper section having a tapered lower portion arranged within the lower portion of the receptacle and secured to the upper end of the lower tubular section, said hopper section normally projecting exteriorly of the receptacle and adapted to contain arefrigerant and to feed the same downward by gravity, and an apron connected with the flexible hopper section and extending outwardly therefrom and cooperating therewith to form a cover for the receptacle.

3. A refrigerator cover for portable receptacles comprising a rigid tubular lower section and a flexible upper hopper section having a tapered lower portion arranged within the lower portion of the receptacle and secured to the upper end of the lower tubular section, said hopper section normally projecting exteriorly of the receptacle and adapted to contain a refrigerant and to feed the same downward by gravity, and an apron surrounding the hopper section and extending outwardly therefrom and cooperating therewith to form a cover for the receptacle and provided with a flaring portion adapted to be arranged exteriorly of the receptacle and to be clamped thereon by a. hoop thereof.

a. l refrigerator cover for portable receptacles comprising a rigid tubular lower section and a flexible upper hopper section having a tapered lower portion arranged within the lower portion of the receptacle and secured to the upper end of the lower tubular section, said hopper section normally projecting exteriorly of the receptacle and adapted to contain a refrigerant and to feed the same downward by gravity, an apron surrounding the hopper section and extending outwardly therefrom and cooperating therewith to form a cover for the receptacle and provided with a iaring portion adapted to he arranged exterior-ly of the receptacle and to be clamped thereon by a hoop thereof, and flexible ears projecting from the hopper section and arranged to extend over the said hoop and adapted to receive fastening devices for securing them to the hoop..

5. A refrigerator cover for portable recel tacles comprising a rigid lower tubular section and an upper enlarged hopper section constructed of flexible material and secured to the lower tubular sections, said hopper section being provided with a flexible top wall having fastening means and adapted to be opened to permit the device to be re-iced witl out removing it from the receptacle.

6. A refrigerator cover for portable receptacles comprising a rigid lower tubular section and an upper flexible section having tapered lower portion terminating in a nech secured to the upper end of the lower tubular section, said hopper section normally projecting beyond the receptacle and provided with an exteriorly arranged flexible apron cooperating with the hopper section to cover the top of the receptacle, said hopper section and apron being foldable within the lower tubular section when not in use.

7. A refrigerator co-ver for portable receptacles comprising a rigid lower tubular section and an upper flexible section having tapered lower portion terminating in a neck secured to the upper end of the lower tubular section, said hopper section normally projecting beyond the receptacle and provided with an exteriorly arranged flexible apro-n cooperating with the hopper section to cover the top of the receptacle, said hopper section and apron being foldable within the lower tubular section when not in use, and a tag receiving ear projecting from the top of the hopper section and arranged to expose a shipping tag when the hopper section is arranged for use and also when folded into the lower tubular section.

8. A portable refrigerator comprising a receptacle and a cover therefor, the cover comprising a lower tubular section located within the receptacle and an upper hopper section constructed of flexible material, said hopper section being adapted to project above the top of the receptacle and having an exteriorly arranged fl Xible apron cooperating wit-h the upper hopper section to cover the top of the receptacle, said hopper section and apron being foldable within the lower tubular section when not in use.

9. A portable refrigerator comprising a receptacle and a cover therefor, the cover comprising a lower tubular section located within the receptacle and an upper hopper section constructed of flexible material, said hopper section being adapted to project above the top of the receptacle and having an exteriorly arranged flexible apron cooperating with the upper hopper section to cover the top of the receptacle, said hopper section being provided with an opening and having fastening means to maintain said opening closed, said hopper section and apron being foldable within the lower tubular section when not in use.

10. A portable refrigerator comprising a receptacle, a tubular member within the receptacle, a flexible member adapted to project above the top of the receptacle and hav'- inO' a closable opening therein and having communication with said tubular member and also having connection with the walls of the receptacle whereby to completely close the receptacle and when not in use adapted to be folded and placed within said tubular member. Y

ll. A portable refrigerator comprising a receptacle, a tubular member within the receptacle, a flexible member adapted to project above the top of the receptacle and be maintained projected above the receptacle by a commodity within the refrigerator, said fiexible member having connection with said tubular member and also having connection with the walls of said receptacle to completely close the latter.

12. A portable refrigerator comprising a receptacle, a tubular member within the receptacle, a flexible member having connection with the upper end of the tubular member and also having connection with the side walls of the receptacle to close the same, the flexible member having an opening, and means to maintain the opening closed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of May, 1929.

MATTE JANE HEVVITT. 

